Fabric expander for textile industry



May 21, 1935.

J. J. M CANN, JR

FABRIC EXPANDER FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY Filed Jan. 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheetl l LLLlflllorney May 21, 1935. .1. J. M CANN, JR 2,002,096

FABRIC EXPANDER FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY Filed Jan. 28, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Q q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q; a Q Q Q '5 Q E Q Inventor kiz fi k/272flzmaarih May 21, 1935. J. J. MccANN. JR 2,002,095

FABRIC EXPANDER FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY Filed Jan. 28, 19 32 s Sheets-Sheet:5

x I LU \Q n a k w R E I 3 4 QWL Inventor fig cZZZ-%22i2, 731

Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED TES FABRIC QEXPANDER For: TEXTILE INDUSTRYJohn J. McCann, Jr., Lowell, Masai Application January 28,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and ,useful improvements in thetentering of fabrics whereby to straighten the selvedge edges thereofand stretch the fabric widthwise, while at the 5; same time permitting adecrease in length proportional to the increase in width. Such improvedtentering treatment of the fabric pro-- such an improved tenteringtreatment and an apparatus for carryingthe sameinto practice. These andother features of the invention will be best understoodand-appreciatedfrom the following description of a preferred'embodiment thereof,selectedyfor purposes of illustration and shown inthe accompanyingdrawings, in which F ure l is a, top plan view of an apparatus ernebodying the inventions l a 1 Figures 2 and 3 are: transverse sectionalelevational views therethrough taken substantially on thelines 2-4 and3-3 respectively of Figure, 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional elevational viewfor moreclearly showing, the construotion of my improved way or guide, and oneof the clipsforming part of theexpander shown in an open position. 7 I pr 4 Figure 5 is a view similar to: Figure 4 with the clip shown in aclosed-condition. v

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryhorizontal sectional elcvational viewthrough-the way. c

Figure 7 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially entire line1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it willbeapparent that myinvention is susceptible to use with any and all well known types oftenteringframes and for the sake of example l have shown the inventionas applied to that type of tentering frame which includes among otherparts, a bench for supporting the working parts of the expander, whichparts include pairs of opposed-carriages 1 equipped with rollers ridableo n rails 9 The bars 117 connecting thecarriages of the respectivepairsare provided with lugs 1a having threaded, engagement with shaft 5supported as at 6 and provided with hand wheels 3 for varying thedistance between the conveyors or chains I which chainsv are trainedover; idler sprockets l3 and driven sprockets ll that are suitablymounted and cause the chains to travel in the same direction and, atthesame speed. The parts herein above referred to are; conventional, toexpander or tenter framenow in use,

1932,, Serial No. 589,521

and do not form vention. 0

As shown, each of the chains is provided with an endless series offabric engaging clips 2 and while any preferred type of clip may beused, in the present instance, I- have shown clips of the type describedand claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 592,373, filed Feb. 11,1932. The clips are illustrated as integral with certain links of thechain, and merely by way of explana: 10 tion, it maybe stated that eachclip includes a substantially horizontally disposed fixed jaw 2a and apivotally mounted jaw 21) cooperable with the jaw 2a and provided with afabric engaging lug 20. 0

V 'In accordance with the present invention, and to provide for arelative decrease in the length of the fabric proportional to anincrease in the widththereof, I provide for each chain 1 a novel guideor way 8, and each guide or way is substantially loop shaped at theends, and accommodates within the confines thereof at relativelyopposite ends, the sprockets I1 and 13, the sprockets It larger than thesprockets l3 fora purpose hereinafter described.

, Each guide 8 comprises upper. and lower frames or plates" a and I)connected in spacedfrelation by studs 81), and each guide comprises astraight outer side 14 and an inner side 12, the latter the essence ofthe present in being straight'and parallel with the side H for 30.

a considerable length thereof and having its end adjacent to thesprocket wheel ll curved outwardly therefrom around this sprocket wheel.The chains 1 run in the guides between the plates a; and b and at leastthe inner sides I2 of the plates are provided withgchain engagingflanges a and 12 having their opposed edges in spaced relation foraccommodating therebetweenfabric engaging clips 2 carried by the chainlinks'and ex: tending outwardly therefrom past the flanges and 40 towardthe other chain I. As shown in Fig, 1, the two guides are arranged withthe said outwardly curved portions of the sides 12 extending toward eachother at theentrance end of the fabric path, whereby this entrance endportion of the path is narrower than the portion between the straightand parallel sections of the sides 12. The chainsaredriven in thedirection of the arrows (Fig. 1) and it is. apparent that they willtravel inthecourse defined by the guides Q or ways 8, with the resultthat opposed clips 2 will be closer together at the entrance end of thedevice and the-distance between opposed clips will gradually inerease asthey proceed toward the relatively opposite or outlet end of the deviceand until their course becomes regulated by the straight portions of thesides l2 of the guides or ways whereupon such pairs of opposed clipswill travel in spaced parallelism with the distance therebetweenremaining constant until such clips have moved to the outlet end of thedevice. Such is thought apparent from a study of Figure 1.

At the outlet end of the space or path between the opposed portions ofthe chains, there is provided on each guide or way 8 a suitable abutmentdevice l5 engageable with the free ends of the jaws 21) for opening saidjaws to permit passage of the fabric from the expander and on to othersuitable mechanism (not shown) whereby the fabric is subjected to adrying process or other step as may be next employed in the treatment ofthe fabric. 7

In actual practice, the web or cloth isfed to the tentering device atthe inlet end of the latter, and the selvage edges of the cloth engagethe lower jaws 2c of the clips 2 while the projections 20 of the jaws 2bengage the fabric in the manner suggested in Figure 4. As the'chains Itravel in the guides or ways in the direction of the arrows (Fig. l),the jaws 2b, by reason of the engagement of the lugs 20 with the fabric,are gradually drawn into clamping relation with the jaws 2a was to clampthe selvage edges of the cloth in the manner suggested in Figure 5. Thisengagement of the jaws serves automatically to pull the selvage edges ofthe cloth following into the line of succeeding fabric engaging clips,as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1. As will also be notedfrom a study-of Fig. l, the distance between opposed clips 2 is at itsminimum at the inlet end of the device. During operation, this distancebetween the clips gradually increases by reason of the curvatureaboutthe wheels H, in the sides I2 of the guides. When the distance betweenopposedclips reaches its maximum, this maximum distance preferablyremains constant until the clips reach the outlet end of the device.

At said outlet end, the jaws 2b of the clips are I engaged by thedevices I5 and swung to the No. 589,522, which device, as clearly setforth in said application, provides for the eflicient removal of waterfrom the fabric. a I

Through the medium of my improved guides or ways for the tenteringchains, a decrease in the length of the fabric beingexpanded in width isaccomplished and thiswill be more apparent'from the following: Where thecloth is fed into the tentering device, the clips 2 of each chain,traveling around its drive wheel or sprocket H, are spaced at theirmaximum -distance apartfrom each other. As the clips pass from thatpath, imposed thereon by the drive wheels H, said clips move in a pathdefined therefor by the curved inner sides I2 of the guides or Ways, asclearly suggested in Figure '1. These curved portions cause the jaws tomove gradually closer together as the chains travel therealong, sincethe curvature thereof is gradually reduced as said curved portions mergewith the straight portions of the guides. Also, as the clips pass fromthis curved path into the straight path, the distance between opposedclips on the two chains increases, with the re'sult'that the fabric isexpanded or stretched transversely in a manner increasing its width.Thus, as the clips pass through this zone of curvature, the jaws thereofclose upon the selvage edge of the fabric and increase the width of theweb, and simultaneously therewith reduce the length thereof. Thedistance between the clips thereafter preferably remains constant untilthe outlet end of the device is reached. It will also be noted that thejaws 2 travel faster at the fabric-engaging portion of the path than atthe portion adjacent to the straight sides 12 of the guides, and itwill, therefore, be apparent that the relatively wider fabric isdischarged from the device at a speed slower than the entrance of thefabric into the device. The fabric is indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings by the reference character20.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a tenter frame embodyingthe features of the present invention will provide for a decrease in thelength of the fabric proportional to the increase in the Width thereofand, consequently, when the fabric is thereafter subjected to anyinfluence that would tend to change the relative tension of the threadsthereof, for example, as

by pressing, sponging, steaming or the like, there will be little or nopossibility of the fabric shrinking because of its subjection to any ofthese influences.

cloth. For example, should a cloth not of uniform width be passedthroughthe tentering device, the clips 2 will not close as quickly onrelatively wide portions thereof as on the relativelynarrow portions, itbeing" understood that the jaws engage the cloth strip at its selvageedges, as shown in Fig. 5. Consequently, and as is thought apparent, agreater stretching operation will take place relative to a narrowportion of the cloth than will take place relative to a wider portionthereof, so that such narrow portion of the cloth will be stretchedsufliciently to make it of a width corresponding to the width of thewide portion or portions. By so correcting unevenness in the width ofthe cloth, a smoother looking weave, a permanent reduction in cockledbunched places in the cloth or fabric, and a permanent, definite anduniform width to the cloth is assured.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible ofchanges, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a tentering device, a pair of endless conveyors having two sidesthereof in opposed and relatively spaced relation and in substantiallythe same plane along a path therebetween, a plurality of elementscarried by the conveyors for gripping the edges of a strip of fabriclocated in said path, means for driving the conveyors to move saidopposed sides thereof from the fabric entering end to the exit end ofthe path, and means supporting and guiding the conveyors in ways causingthe said two sides thereof to approach each other at said fabricentering end of the path and to diverge outwardly therefrom incurvilinear lines toward the exit end of the path, the said fabricgripping elements of each conveyor being in outwardly diverging relationto each other when at said curvilinear portion of the path and cominginto closer relation as they leave such portion of the path wherebyfabric gripped by the opposed elements is stretched widthwise by thesaid opposed sides of the conveyors at said outwardly diverging portionthereof and permitted by said approaching movement of the elements toreduce in length a proportional amount. a

2. A continuous method of finishing fabric in strip form, consisting offeeding the fabric longitudinally along a predetermined path whileholding the same gripped at its two side edges, and stretching thefabric to increase its width at a predetermined portion of said path andsimultaneously therewith decreasing the, longitudinal feeding speed ofthe fabric an amount allowing a longitudinal contraction of the fabricproportional to said increase in width.

3. In a tentering device, a pair of endless conveyors having opposedportions lying in the same plane and relatively spaced to provide a paththerebetween, said opposed portions extending along lines leadinginwardly toward each other to a point of closest approach adjacent toone end of the path and diverging from said point through convexlycurved portions and into straight and parallel portions, mechanism fordriving the conveyors along said path in a direction away fromsaid oneend, a plurality of clips carried by each conveyor and extending'fromeach of said portions toward the other portion, fabric engaging jaws onthe free ends of the clips, and guides extending along and conductingsaid portions of the conveyor along said lines at the edges of the path,said clips on each conveyor being in outwardly diverging relation'whenlocated at said curved portions and being in relatively closer relationwhen located at said straight portions whereby fabric in said pathgripped by said jaws at the curved portions is stetched widthwise bysaid opposed and diverging portions of the conveyors and permitted toreduce a proportional amount in length by the relative approachingmovement of the clips as the fabric passes to said straight portions.

JOHN J. McCANN, JR.

